When the world turned its attention to Kiruna Church in August 2025, we did too. The difference? Our officers were on the ground securing its historic relocation.
Over two days, the Arctic city’s most iconic landmark was transported with painstaking care more than three miles to its new home. Millions followed the move live, as cameras tracked every inch of the journey in what became the pinnacle of slow TV.
Less visible to the viewers, but crucial to the success of the move, were Securitas officers working in shifts around the clock.
(Photo: Klara Enbom Burreau, Kiruna Municipality)
A move two decades in the making
For more than 20 years, plans have been underway to move parts of the city as the ground beneath it has been gradually deformed by mining activity. Entire neighborhoods are being shifted to ensure the town’s survival.
The largest and most delicate step was the relocation of Kiruna Church, one of Sweden’s largest wooden structures and voted one of the nation’s most beautiful buildings. Finished in 1912 and inspired by a traditional Sámi tent, it has become a defining symbol of Kiruna’s identity.
Securitas joined the preparations more than a year before the church was set to move, ensuring security would be seamless during the historic event. Safeguarding the building was not just an engineering challenge, but a way of protecting the town’s cultural heritage for generations to come.
Planning for the impossible
Moving a 1.5-million-pound wooden structure required meticulous preparation. Roads were widened, transport platforms assembled, and every detail was inspected to protect everything from the altarpiece to the organ.
“The size was the first challenge, as no wooden building of this size had ever been moved before,” says Magnus Utsi of Veidekke Entreprenad AB, the construction company responsible for the relocation. “We also worked hard to protect the priceless altarpiece so that it would withstand the stresses of the project. These issues were resolved through countless risk analyses to find the best methods.”
They brought in specialists from across Europe to help with this endeavor. “We had experts in measurement, weight calculations, bracing, and transport, as well as conservators and church organ specialists,” Magnus says.
The responsibility of securing ‘everyone’s church’
Experts in security were needed too. Cue: Stefan Uusitalo and his team. Stefan, Securitas team leader and security advisor in Kiruna, was brought onto the project in 2024.
(Photo: Klara Enbom Burreau, Kiruna Municipality)
“From the start, our role was to protect the church and its surroundings while preparations took place. We set up patrols, fenced off areas, and stationed officers at the site. In the evenings, our guards went inside the church for rounds. And later, as work intensified, we shifted to external patrols, making sure the building was constantly under watch.”
Over time, Securitas’ presence around the church became a part of daily life in Kiruna.
“We made it a habit to drive by the church even when on other assignments, using alternative routes so we would be visible,” Stefan says. “Everyone felt the same responsibility. This wasn’t just another job, it was everyone’s church.”
The slowest walk in Sweden
When the day came, the church crept through Kiruna at a glacial pace of 0.3 miles per hour (for reference, a normal walking pace is about 3 miles per hour).
“Mammoet, the Dutch heavy transport specialists, admitted it was one of their biggest and most unique jobs,” Stefan says. “The slow pace meant long hours in the cold wind, but the atmosphere was fantastic. We worked in shifts around the clock, with escort vehicles at the front and rear, officers walking alongside, and reinforcements brought in during stops to keep crowds at a safe distance.”
Global attention added to the sense of responsibility
“It wasn’t just the people of Kiruna watching,” Stefan says. “There were 25 TV crews from all over the world present. And spectators everywhere! Even the Swedish King waved to us as the church crept past. A colleague in Portugal messaged me: ‘What are you up to in Kiruna?’ They’d seen it on the news there too.”
Few Swedish news stories have captured the world’s attention quite like this one. News outlets in 109 countries covered the event, according to media analysis, with the strongest coverage coming from the United States, Germany, and Italy. In Mexico alone, 152 articles were published about the move.
Shared purpose and achievement
“Securitas was part of the planning meetings at Kiruna City Hall alongside emergency services, police, ambulance, the municipality, and LKAB – the mining company financing the move,” Stefan says. “In the council chamber, there was a sense of shared purpose. It became obvious that only by working together could we safeguard something that important.”
The role of security was not to take the spotlight but to ensure that a historic event could unfold without disruption.
“We had a very good working relationship with Securitas throughout the project, and even the few incidents we had were handled quickly and efficiently,” Magnus says.
For Stefan and his team, pride came not from waving to the King or the crowds of curious onlookers, but from making the extraordinary seem effortless.
“Looking back, the pride is immense,” he says. “Very few incidents, flawless coordination, and a team who showed loyalty and commitment every step of the way.”
Later, in the debriefs, the surreal memories return: how the church spent the night parked outside, just a stone’s throw from the Securitas Kiruna office. An image so unusual – yet powerful – that people still talk about it.
Looking back, the team realizes they were part of history. Safeguarding Kiruna Church was about preserving a piece of the town’s identity, a legacy that will endure for generations thanks to the teamwork of all involved. And Securitas is proud to have helped make that possible.
